MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

The meme has rapidly risen as one of the most prominent forms of communication on the Internet. As the technology has changed at a speed hardly imaginable even two decades ago, it has also generated new ways communities connect and forge their shared identities. Although a precise definition is difficult to pin down, the meme is generally an idea or image that frequently gets altered in some way and then shared, often intended to be humorous. Sometimes the meme is altered in a single particular way and then reposted over and over in the same way, such as the Grumpy Cat photo bracketed by “I had fun once. It was awful.” Or, the meme may start with a single image that then get modified and reposted, such as the image of Gene Wilder as a sardonic-looking Willy Wonka that has text that poses a question meant to reflect the foolishness of the asker and a sarcastic answer, such as, “Oh you just graduated? I’ll have a number one with pickles.” Although memes may seem simply like throwaway jokes, they often can act as an essential form of identity for a community that has their own set of memes that someone from outside would not be able to participate in. Memes also arguably have become important shorthand communication that often quickly separates insiders of certain Internet cultures from outsiders. Memes develop and evolve, sometimes acting as inside jokes but also cultural touchstones that solidify the shared identity of a group and may help us better understand the unique place this device has found in our culture aside from just being the funny picture or video someone might send his/her friends.